


Memory Fragments

by rocketscientist07



Series: Debriefed [2]
Category: Bloodbound (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-09-21 18:31:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17048387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocketscientist07/pseuds/rocketscientist07
Summary: Four years after the events of Debriefed. When a tragedy happens, Kamilah must face a second decision that will change her life forever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> \- English is not my first language, forgive me for any mistakes.  
> \- After so many requests I finally decided to give this fic a sequel, and closure.  
> \- I hope you enjoy it and don’t hate me yet. TVD fans will probably know what happens next (don’t spoil it! 😯).  
> \- Your likes and reviews are always appreciated.  
> *Special Note to Kamilah: Stay away from Mountain View, CA! I heard there are vampire captors out there 😨

_San Francisco, California - June 2, 2022 - 7 AM_

_*beep* *beep*_

Kamilah stopped the alarm, barely opening her eyes. Then, she did the same routine she was forced every morning. She opened a secret safe hiding behind a poster on her bedroom's wall. Lily Spencer gifted her that poster right before her move to the West Coast. It was from a game, named " _Vampyr_ ". She typed a password, "6-0-2-2". 

 _*password correct*_  flashed on the small led display.

She retrieved a syringe from inside. She still had enough for... two weeks, she rolled her eyes. She sat on the edge of her bed, injecting the red liquid in her upper arm. Adrian's serum had been improved to the point it lasted 24 hours. She could spend the entire day out in the sun, living a normal life. Or almost normal, she was still a vampire after all. The only side effects she had to deal with were a decrease in her special abilities, but it was no longer a problem. The Vampires in California were far less problematic from the ones in New York.

After a quick shower, she got dressed and drove to a hospital nearby. Discretly, she walked to a small door at the side alley. She knocked three times and pronounced the secret code.

"I came for the strawberry jam."

A young looking man opened the door, with a smile on his face.

"Good Morning, Kamilah."

"Morning, Luc."

"What is going to be today? B-, AB+ or the regular O+?"

"Anything, after 2067 years they all start tasting the same."

He handed her a paper bag, containing a bag of blood inside.

"Have a nice breakfast."

Kamilah entered her car again, following to a large property in Napa. Zahra Institute of Botany, a sign hanging in the main building indicated. She parked her car at the usual spot. The spot reservated to the CEO. Inside her office, a cheeful blonde woman awaited for her with her favorite coffee in hands.

"Good morning, Kami! Did you have a good night? Did Luc..."

"Louise, I'm fine. Yes, I've had a good night of sleep and your husband provided the blood bag I needed. Thank you."

A couple of months after Kamilah decided to leave New York, her former protegé, Louise, came seeking for her help. Her husband, and bound, Jean-Luc had Stage 4 Cancer and she wanted him to be Turned. It was his only chance of surviving. As Kamilah's blood was more pure than Louise's, the chances he wouldn't turn into a feral were higher. After being Turned and properly branded, both of them decided to start a new life in the United States, which was really helpful for Kamilah at that moment. Now, after selling Ahmanet Financial, she ran a botany institute along with Louise. She'd spend most of her time doing what she loved, studying, researching and photographing different species of plants and their properties.

"Did you take our... daily medication?" Louise asked as soon as she sat on her desk, referring to Adrian's serum.

"Of course," Kamilah rolled her eyes. "Otherwise I wouldn't be here right now."

She accessed some files on her powerful computer. Her most important project was far from complete. She hoped that using natural ingredients only, she'd be able to achieve the same effects as the serum's.

"Damn it," she complained aloud. "I received the latest results and they failed. The tested Vampires were only able to stay out in the sun for 15 minutes and they got terrible sunburned."

"How much of the serum we still have left?"

"To supply all of us? Only enough for two weeks."

"Uh oh," Louise bit her lower lip, giving Kamilah a questioning look. "Does it mean you need to go back New York... right now?"

Kamilah sighed, angrily.

"Don't give me this look, okay? I'll find another way... I'll convince Adrian to ship some across the country. I'll make up some excuse."

"He'll never forgive you for missing out his wedding."

"Can we not talk about it?" Kamilah abruptly stood up, grabbing her camera.

All she needed was to spend some time alone in her gardens, with her rare flowers. The last thing she wanted to have in mind right now was Adrian's wedding. Or... Amy's wedding.

\-------------------

_Raines Corporation, New York - June 8, 2022 - 8 PM_

Inside the elevator, Kamilah inhaled deeply for four seconds, then exhaled for another four. She was nervous, she couldn't deny it. It wouldn't be easy to face the woman she loved, her soulmate, again. Especially now she was engaged to her best friend. She couldn't just pretend it was all okay.

The elevator stopped. As the doors opened, she spotted an empty desk at the lobby. Through Priya, she learned Amy was no longer Adrian's assistant. He insisted she should go to business school, as she had a lot of potential to help him to run Raines Corporation when she became his wife.

It was so unlike her, Kamilah thought. Once she confessed she dreamed to have her own restaurant or a cafe, as she enjoyed cooking, and eating too. Now, because of Adrian, she'd be pursuing a carreer she didn't even like.

She knocked at Adrian's office, when he opened the door a huge grin appeared on his face.

"Kamilah," he involved her in a tight hug, "long time no see. I thought you weren't coming."

"Actually... I came here for something else. Me and my Clan in LA, we're running out of the serum."

"I'll provide you some. But aren't you staying for the wedding?"

Without an answer in mind, Kamilah swallowed dry. She wondered if that situation could've been prevented if she told Adrian Amy was her bound, or even confessed her feelings for her. But everything happened too fast, in a blink of an eye, they were already dating. 

"I-I... I've been busy," she lied. "There's this research I'm doing that cannot wait. I need to monitor the species cycle very closely."

"What about your partner, Louise? Come on, Kamilah. You're like a sister to me. All I wished for was to have you by my side in this moment. After everything I went through with Eleanor and Celia... I've finally found love again."

"But..."

Before saying anything else, Kamilah reminded of how much pain Adrian felt when Celia died. For months, she had to look after him, making sure he'd not go back to what he was before, when he was still Gaius servant.

Then, she remembered his words on that cabin, sharing his darkest secret. The trauma of losing his beloved wife and son. Now with Amy, he never felt lonely again. He was always happy and relaxed.

Upon that, she was unable to say no.

"Okay. I'll stay for your wedding."

Adrian hugged her again in pure gratitude. She almost could feel happy for him. Almost. If only he wasn't marrying her bound.

"There's one more thing..." before he could finish his sentence, the door opened.

"Adrian? You were taking so long to go home, I was getting worried."

Amy entered the office, when she noticed Kamilah was standing there, her expression quickly changed.

Kamilah hadn't seen her since her move. Everytime she had to visit Adrian to pick up the serum supply, she chose times she knew Amy wouldn't be at his office. She avoided even pictures online. 

Amy hadn't changed a bit. She was wearing worn-out jeans, a shirt and All-Star shoes. She was still that same girl, from four years earlier.

They gazed into each other eyes from what seemed like an eternity. That feeling. That same damn feeling returned. Stronger this time, as they consummated their bound. And Kamilah knew she was able to feel it too.

"Hi, Kamilah," Amy finally cleared her throat. "It's uhh... nice to see you. We thought you weren't coming, as you never confirmed our RVSP."

"Sorry, I've been too busy. I wasn't sure."

Another uncomfortable silence settled over the room. Amy didn't want Kamilah to be there, she could sense it. It made her highly anxious. She began to wonder if she actually told Adrian they had slept together, twice.

"So Kamilah," Adrian spoke. "I was saying... there's one more thing. I need to attend a conference in Chicago. I should stay there for a few days. Would you mind keeping an eye on Amy for me?"

"Adrian!" Amy complained, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I don't need a nanny, okay? I told you, I'm safe with Lily. The Baron won't be bothering us."

"I know, baby. But after I stopped providing him and his Clan the serum, who knows what he'll be capable of?"

"This is sweet of you, but... Kamilah said she's busy."

At this point, Kamilah had already stop paying attention. She wondered how many times she rolled her eyes in a row. They were so romantic, so cheesy, so... perfect. Her mouth stiffened in rage.

"She's taking a few days off, until our wedding. Remember?"

"Oh."

Amy wasn't thrilled to know she'd be forced to be around Kamilah for the next few days. Was she afraid? Did she have any doubts about her feelings for Adrian? A hint of satisfaction appeared on Kamilah's face and she forced a smile.

"Don't worry, Adrian. I'll take care of her as if she was my own bride."

\-------------------

Although it was being too much too handle, Kamilah was hiding it well. She always acted supportive, calm and composed. Visiting the wedding site, checking if everything was fine with the buffet, giving her opinion about the decoration flowers... All of that was driving her insane, thinking she should be the one marrying Amy and giving her the wedding of her dreams. 

While she waited for Amy, in one of the last trials of the wedding dress, she went to her car and called Louise.

"I can't do this anymore. I seriously don't know how I'll even react when I see her in that dress."

"Relax, Kami. Do it as I told you, when the Priest asks if someone has any objections, you get up and..."

"Louise, no."

"Then why don't you just tell her? About the bounding thing, your feelings..."

"Taking another wife from Adrian's life. That sounds very fair."

"Does it sound fair that you'll spend the rest of your eternity locked inside a recluded property in Napa, researching flowers to avoid thinking of what could've been? She's your soulmate, Kamilah. Not his. She'll never feel complete by his side and... She's a mortal. She won't have all the time in the world to change her decision."

"I'll think about it, okay? I need to go now. She wants my opinion on that stupid dress. Bye."

When she entered back the boutique, her heart started pulsing weirdly. Her stomach stiffened. The view of the woman she loved in that wedding dress caused a feeling she had never experienced before, and she thought, that after 2067 years, she had felt literally everything. Amy looked back at her and smiled, she couldn't help smiling back.

"So, what do you think? I trust your fashion sense. You're always so well-dressed and elegant."

"You look..." Kamilah was still speechless, "perfect."

Amy's face suddently changed. She sat down and started crying. Intensily.

"W-What's wrong?" Kamilah asked, sitting right beside her. "Was it something I said?"

"No... I just..." Amy took a deep breath and wiped out some tears. "I'm not sure about this wedding anymore. I'm not even sure about my life anymore! I hate college, I hate Adrian is never home, I hate his rich friends... Oh my god, please don't tell him that. I'm only confused. It must be stress."

"I won't, I promise."

"I wish I had your strenght, you know? When you got fed up of that financial company of yours, you left everything behind to pursue what you always wanted."

"I've gotten used leaving things behind, I guess."

After Amy returned to her casual outfit, they were ready to leave. She still needed to speak to the band that was going to play at the party.

"I don't feel like going," she cried in the passenger seat. "Take me home. I'm not feeling well."

"I have a better idea."

Without telling Amy her plans, Kamilah drove to the nearest Ice Cream shop.

"Wasn't you that once told me Ice Cream heals everything?"

Amy let out a small laugh.

"Do you still remember?"

"Of course, I even adopted it as coping mechanism. You should see my freezer in San Francisco."

"You really have changed."

"For better, I hope."

Kamilah ordered them both the largest bowls of ice cream they had avaliable. She asked extra topping for Amy, assuming that could help to cheer up her spirits, but she was still quiet, introspective.

"Can I ask you a question?" She broke the silence after a long pause. "Why did you really move to San Francisco?"

"I wanted a new beginning," Kamilah answered, taking a spoon of ice cream.

"Uh, you usually wish for a new beginning when something ends."

"Exactly. I had nothing else keeping me at New York anymore, so I started something new."

Amy let out a chuckle, where Kamilah noticed a hint of sarcasm.

"New state, new vampire companions, new company... What about a new lover?"

"Lover?" Kamilah rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Amy. You know me, love isn't for me anymore. I'm not capable of feeling..."

"But you were," Amy interrupted, raising her voice. "That night in Adrian's cabin, the other night in your office..."

"Then you started dating Adrian."

Kamilah looked away, avoiding Amy's eyes. It was like she was confessing somehow that she only went away because she couldn't stand the idea of seeing the two of them together.

"You finally admitted," Amy shook her head. "I knew it all along, and I couldn't even tell Adrian!"

"Of course, he wouldn't be happy to know we had sex, so you omitted it."

"What's your problem, Kamilah?! One night, you say you were searching for me, then you disappear for two weeks. You don't call me, you don't text me, we never talk about it again."

"It was an important business meeting, Amy. I had to leave the country for two weeks and when I returned, you were already dating him. You never considered how I'd feel about it."

"Now this is my fault? You never cared about me. You never showed you cared. For you, I was only a sex toy. You aren't that different from Priya, you know? Now Adrian, he's always by my side. He's supportive, loving, gentle... He brings me flowers and takes me on the most perfect dates..."

"And yet, you were having second thoughts about your wedding five minutes ago, before you start dwelling on a text I didn't send you four years ago."

Amy remained silent for minutes, staring at her furiously. Kamilah would never understand mortals, why did it still matter so many years later, when she was about to get married?

Maybe Louise was right. That was the perfect moment to open up, to tell her everything.

"Know what I think, Amy?" She spoke softly. "You don't want to marry Adrian, you're frustrated and you're blaming it on me. Blaming it on me because we still have unsolved feelings. Would you... Would you like to talk about it? I have something to tell you, I quite don't know how but..."

"Do you know what I want?" Amy slammed her fist on the table. "I want you to go away. I don't want to ever see you again, Kamilah. You never meant anything to me! You were just... a girl crush I had. Once I found true love those two nights became meaningless. I-I could never love you... you're cold, selfish, arrogant..."

"As you wish, Amy. I promise you'll never see me again."

While Kamilah paid for the order, Amy left the shop. Without saying goodbye or even looking back. 

She spent a long time inside her car, reminiscing about Amy's last words. The last time words hurt so deeply in her heart was when her brother's death was informed.

If only she wasn't scared of her feelings... If only she hadn't debriefed her all those times... If only she hadn't deleted that damn voicemail, four years before... 

Suddently, her chest started feeling tight, her heart rate accelerated and it was getting difficult to breathe. It wasn't only that, she felt deeply sad, empty, like if a part of her had been ripped off. Maybe Amy's negative feelings for her were the key to break the bound. Now she was finally free to live a long and happy life with Adrian.

Kamilah started driving, headed back to the hotel. She'd return to San Francisco immediately. Later, she could find an excuse for Adrian. The traffic was slower than usual. It would take minutes, maybe hours to arrive at her destination. 

"I really miss San Francisco right now," she told herself while turning on the radio. Some music could help her to calm down a little bit.

When she was able to move a little, she started feeling thirsty. It should be that smell in the air, the smell of blood... fresh blood. A little further she could see the lights, police cars, an ambulance, a bus... As she passed through the accident site something on the floor got her attention, a bracelet. The same bracelet Amy was wearing that afternoon. 

Kamilah got out of the car, desperately trying to find her. Ignoring guards and paramedics, she passed through the yellow tapes. Following her advanced senses she looked around, attempting to find her. But she wasn't anywhere... Until...

She looked under the bus and there she was, lying face down in a puddle of blood.

"Amy!" Kamilah yelled, as a guard dragged her away. "Do something! Save her, please."

For the first time in centuries, tears started streaming down her face. The paramedics carefully removed Amy from under the bus. As they gave her the first examinations, Kamilah could hear them whispering:

"There isn't much to be done."

But her vampire ears still could hear it. Her favorite sound in the world. Amy's heartbeats, getting weaker... and weaker... until...

Silence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is not my first language, forgive me for any mistakes.
> 
> \- I forgot explaining in the previous chapter. The only usage of Adrian’s serum in this story is to make the vampires able to walk in the sunlight. It doesn’t make them any human or stronger ;)
> 
> \- Your likes and reviews are always appreciated.
> 
> *Special Note to Kamilah: Stay away from Mountain View, CA! I heard there are vampire captors out there 😨

_Flashback - London, August 15, 2018_

_Ignoring her uptight personality, Kamilah decided to follow her heart for the first time in centuries. She'd make that call, after pondering for days. What could go wrong?_

_She pressed Amy's name on her contact list. As she waited on the line, she came up with an excuse, a reason of why she was calling. It wasn't so late in New York yet, but the girl didn't answer._

_"She must have gone bed earlier tonight," Kamilah lamented. Working at such a big company like Raines Corporation should be exhaustive for a young mortal. Adrian's schedule could get really busy sometimes._

_In this case, she shouldn't insist. Instead, she would leave a message on her voicemail and wait for Amy to return the call when she was avaliable._

_"Amy, hi. This is me. Kamilah. Sayeed. In case you're not recognizing my voice. _Listen, I visited some of the places you suggested, I even took some pictures but... it'd have been better if you were here, I guess...__

_Anyways... after the whole thing with Gaius we haven't had much time to uhh... be together. Oh and I bought you something. So I was thinking we should..."_

_Kamilah lied. She needed to create a situation to meet Amy as soon as she arrived in New York, but she had no idea what she liked. She opened her laptop, checking the girl's Facebook page for suggestions, when something caught her atention. Less than one hour earlier, she had posted a picture having dinner with Adrian. They looked so close, so intimate... His arm around her shoulder..._

_She went mute and without thinking, she pressed option number two, cancelling the message._

\-------------------

Kamilah stared at her cellphone screen waiting for Adrian to call. She couldn’t do it herself. It was over 10 PM and at some point he'd be questioning why Amy wasn't picking up her phone. Then his only option would be calling Kamilah's number. But she still didn’t know how was she supposed to deliver those news. How do you even tell the man, who trusted you his fianceé’s life, that she's possibly dead?

That initial scene was still haunting her mind.

"Do you know the victim?" A paramedic asked.

Kamilah nodded in response, unable to speak. Minutes later, she was placed inside the ambulance that was carrying Amy to the hospital. Where she could finally take a better look on her. Or on what was left of her.

There was blood coming out from everywhere, her mouth, her nose, her ears... it was too much blood, even for a vampire. For the first time since she was Turned, the smell of blood made Kamilah feel sick, instead of thirsty. She felt she was about to throw up.

Amy’s heart stopped for the second time. Kamilah felt hers was about to stop too. This time it was taking longer to start pulsing again, but one more time, the doctors were able to bring her back to life. Kamilah smiled faintly after a relieved sigh. Despite the severity of her injuries, Amy was still being the tough little fighter she usually was.

She held Amy’s hand. It was pale and cold. She was so brave, even unconscious. She remembered the first time she did it, when she was only four months old. Differently from that day, there were no giggles or even the electric sensations of bounding. It was the first time touching Amy didn’t make her feel a single thing. Did that mean life was leaving her body? It couldn't be... I just couldn't.

Since she was taken to the Emergency Center, Kamilah had no more news. She tried to contact doctors and nurses but no one could inform her on Amy's condition.

Her last desperate attempt was to follow a woman, whose son was in a long and complicated surgery, to the hospital's chapel. She explained that she didn't have any beliefs but the kind lady held her hand, asked her to close her eyes and said a prayer for Amy's life. Her faith was somehow comforting and contagious, for a second, Kamilah let herself get involved by her words, thinking:

“ _God, if you... if you’re really here like this woman is saying... Listen to me, I’ve done horrible things in the past. I wasn’t even be supposed to be here. My existence contradicts everything your bible says but... not Amy. She’s still young and good. Her heart is pure. She deserves to live._

 _And if I’m still able to repair everything I did... just let me be with her. Let me take care and protect her, with my life if I have to. Please._ ”

Minutes later after they returned to the waiting room, a female doctor emerged from the Emergency Center.

"Amy Parker?" She asked, searching for family and friends of the patient.

Kamilah stood up, apprehensively.

"Are you family?"

"No, I'm her... friend."

"Doesn't she has any family in New York?"

"I-I... I'm not sure. She only told me her parents live a few hours away from here, in a small town in Massachusetts."

The doctor was pensive, silent for a moment. Kamilah knew that expression, that look. She remembered seeing it on Amethu's face when he told her about Lysimachus’ death.

"Come with me."

She followed the doctor to a small office, where they both sat down. The doctor presented her a bunch of exams and papers. Terms and expressions her head couldn't quite process at the moment.

" _Severe brain injury... Irreversible coma... Sign the papers... Unplug the machines._ "

After asking the doctor to repeat it all over again, she understood. Amy had a severe trauma in her brain, after hours of surgery they were able to stop the bleeding, but the damage was irreversible. She'd never wake up from the coma state she was in. The only thing that was keeping her alive were the machines she was plugged in. They needed the family to sign the papers to authorize turning them off.

"No," Kamilah protested. "If there's still a manner to keep her alive, she'll stay alive. I'll pay for it! And I'll invest in the most modern technologies, experimental treatments... anything."

"Ms. Sayeed, I know it's difficult to accept. Even if she does wake up someday, she'll never be the same. Her body wouldn’t be able to perform the most simple actions, like speaking, seeing or even breathing.”

"I don’t care,” Kamilah punched the wall, opening a small hole. “I would still..."

Another doctor entered the office, announcing Amy's condition had worsened. She had only about two hours to live. Not even her family would have a chance to see her one last time.

"Would you like to say goodbye for them, Ms. Sayeed?"

Kamilah barely knew how she found strenght to walk to that ICU room. Her Amy still looked the same, except that she could barely see her gorgeous features behind that oxygen mask and all those tubes and wires, conected in her entire body. She looked so fragile, so weak...

She pulled a chair, sitting right beside the bed. She touched Amy's hand again, hoping the electric impulses had returned, but nothing happened.

"Hey," she squeezed the girl's hand a little tighter. "Here I am. In 2067 years of life, it’s the first time I break a promise. I said you'd never see me again but..."

A lump in her throat prevented her from proceeding. Their fight, right before the accident, started to replay all over again inside her mind, making her feel extremely guilty. She should have drove Amy’s home like she asked. She shouldn’t have insisted on that conversation...

"I still remember perfectly the first time I saw you, you know? Concidentally, when I saved you from an accident. You escaped without a single scratch and it impressed me, considering how tiny you were. It seems like you were always... a badass, like you say, since early.”

Barely breathing and controlling herself to not cry, Kamilah let out a small laugh.

“Oh my god and you really like trouble. I sent you away three times and you returned. You challenged me... you kissed me... you made fall in love with you! Damn it, I love everything about you! Your hair, your eyes, your stupid laugh, your awful jokes, the way you always find a positive side in every situation...”

She glanced at the machines plugged at Amy’s fragile body, her vital signs were fading away.

“I can’t live without you, Amy. I just can’t,” at this point she allow a few tears fall from her eyes. “All this time, my body was in California but my mind never really left New York. It never left you! And it never will because... you’re mine, and I’m yours.”

There was nothing else to be done, unless... She bit her own wrist, opening a large gash. Large enough to feed Amy a considerable amount of her blood. At this point she knew it wasn’t enough to heal, or even improve, her state. So Kamilah got up from the chair determined, and plugged off the machines that were keeping Amy alive.

“I’m sorry, Amy. I’m not letting you go. Louise didn’t give up on Luc and they’re happy. There is still a chance for us. Or at least for you, if you hate me for what I’ve just done.”

She watched as Amy’s body stopped completely. When she turned on the machines again, her vital signs started to slowly grow stronger, , showing an impossible improvement considering how much damage her body received.

The next few hours were crucial. First, she went back to the doctor’s office with the excuse that, according to her Egyptian beliefs, she needed to be alone with Amy in the bedroom performing a ritual. She should not be bothered, in any circunstances, or her spirit wouldn’t find peace in the afterlife. After some fake crying and tears, the doctor couldn’t say no to her request. Then, she sneaked to the blood bank, stealing a blood bag from the storage. Amy would need that when she woke up.

Going back to the room, she turned off the lights, making the room as dark as possible. A member of her clan came to meet her, bringing a few items she’d need for the rest of the Turning ritual.

Now all she had to do was to observe and wait. Amy wouldn’t turn into a feral, she could sense it. She was Turned by her  _bound_ , there was nothing stronger than that. She smiled, holding Amy’s hand again. The electric impulses were starting to sparkle again. For the next six hours, she remained like that, feeling her lover’s body and those bounding sensations in a way she had never appreciated before.

Amy made clear she didn’t wanted to see her again. She was angry and confused. Now her senses would be intensified, all of those feelings would only increase. And so would her love for Adrian.

“So this is our final goodbye, little firefly. Be happy, okay?”

\-------------------

Amy opened her eyes abruptly. Like coming back from sleep paralysis, it took some long minutes before she could properly move or even breathe again. And she felt  _different_... All her surroundings felt different. She could hear the nurses talking on the corridors, she could hear the monitors from patients in the other rooms, she could hear her own heart beating inside her chest. She was anxious, extremely anxious and  _thirsty_... She needed to get some water.

" _Was that really necessary?_ ” She thought while removing the oxygen mask and all those wires plugged to her body. Apparently there were no broken bones or injuries. She felt only a little lightheaded. It was probably a concussion.

Even after drinking an entire jar of water, she still felt thirsty. Her mouth was completely dry. She must had spent days unconcious, without drinking anything and receiving a lot of medication.

She walked to the bathroom to wash her face before calling a nurse. When she looked herself in the mirror, she screamed. Her eyes were glowing red and she had... fangs. Sharp fangs.

“T-This can’t be happening... I must be dreaming...”

She returned to the bedroom, noticing a small package on the bedside table with a note “ _Drink it._ ” A blood bag. Instinctively, she pricked it with her newly discovered fangs and drank it all, in only one sip. At the same time it satisfied her needs, it tasted horrible. She started feeling some sickness in her stomach.

She was now... a vampire. How she would even adapt to that? What would she tell her parents? Would they still love her if they discovered? She began to cry, to sob unconsolably.

A group of doctors and nurses burst through the door, exchanging shocked glances. They were unable to believe what they were seeing.

“B-But... how?” The female doctor wondered. "S-She was technically... dead."

Adrian arrived minutes later. He didn’t even know about the accident yet. After the message Amy texted him, he assumed she needed some time alone.

“Y-You didn’t Turn me?” Amy asked. “Then who... Kamilah, of course.”

Memories of the previous day returned to her foggy mind. After their discussion, she left the Ice Cream Shop texting Adrian a message. A message calling off the wedding and asking for a break, because she had unsolved feelings for somebody else. She was too disturbed, too distracted to notice the bus coming in her direction.

"Adrian," she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about that text, I don't know what I was thinking... I was very confused."

"It's Kamilah, isn't it?" Adrian asked, after a moment of silence. There was no anger in his voice, only frustration. "I should've known. She moved away right after we started dating. And you don't like talking about her or even being around her. You were relutanct about inviting her to our wedding, even knowing she’s like a sister to me.”

"It doesn't matter anymore! I hate her now! This accident was her fault and she Turned me without my consent... I didn’t know if I wanted to be  _this_!”

Before they could talk any further about her new condition, her parents entered the room, followed by their Church's Minister, emotions overflowing. They believed Amy coming back from death was a true miracle.

At her hometown, she became the hottest gossip. Everybody wanted to meet and interview the " _girl who came back to life_ ". At the Church, a special ceremony was being held in her honor. For her luck, Lily and Adrian followed her to the trip. She wasn't fully able to control her senses and bloodlust yet... She never felt satisfied enough... there was always a need for more. Her body also rejected Adrian's brand for some reason. As soon as he marked her skin, the brand would fade away after a few seconds. With that, there was a possibility she could become a feral too.

With all of that in mind right no, she couldn't force her to pay attention in the ceremony. It was all a lie. She wasn't a miracle. She was now an undead being, what some religions would consider a demon.

"For the second time, the Parker’s were blessed by a miracle. Amy rose from the death, contradicting doctors and the medicine. Her severely damaged brain was completely helead, in only a few hours. They call it science, but we all know it was Jesus...”

The whole crowd applauded Amy’s  _miracle_.

“ _If they only knew,_ ” Amy shook her head.

“... For those who don’t remember, her mother, years ago, mysteriously escaped from a car in flames without a single wound, with baby Amy in her arms."

The Minister’s words caught Amy's attention for some reason. She never heard about that accident and although she was too young to remember anything at the time, a sudden a flash passed through her brain. Like in one of those visions, she could see herself as an infant inside the destroyed car, crying her lungs out while her mother was barely conscious, asking for help.

"Nobody knows how she was able to escape that car. The damage blocked the door. Only a Supernatural force could've acted to save them in that moment."

A row of applauses were heard around the Church again.

Another flash passed in front of Amy's eyes like a movie. Her infant self woke up, being was hold by somebody else. A woman. She recognized her voice, her brown eyes...

" _You're so tiny, fragile, but enchanting. Like a... little firefly._ "

Kamilah.

" _What the f--?_ " Amy whispered, then begging God for forgiveness for saying that word inside the Church.

Before the cult even ended, she walked home alone. That was impossible. The brain injury was probably causing those flashes. They were fake memories her body was producing. Her newly-turned vampire instincts were trying to create inside her some form of gratitude to her maker.

She locked herself in her bedroom. Her old bedroom. She was confused and tired. All the blood Adrian brought from New York was able to supply her needs. A while later, somebody knocked at the door.

"Go away," she yelled. "I want to be alone, please."

"Come on, sis," that was her younger brother, Jordan. "Mom was driving me nuts, she wanted me to make sure you're okay."

Amy relutanctly opened the door.

"I am okay. I just want to be alone for a while. This whole miracle thing is getting a little bit exaggerated."

"I know, it's just... They said your brain kinda exploded, then healed itself in a matter of hours. We should keep an eye on you."

"I'm not turning into a zombie, don't worry."

Jordan let out a laugh. He entered the room, sitting by her side on the floor. They chatted for hours, while listening to some music. He told her about his job and his plans to make a tour around Asia before the end of Summer. She considered going with him, now she and Adrian had broken up, but it wasn't a good idea. Not until she was fully... adapted.

Jordan grabbed something from his pockets. A chocolate bar.

"Want some?"

"Hell yeah, I need it so badly..."

As Amy touched it, the weird flashes started again. She spaced out, seeing herself during a cold New Year’s Eve night in New York, 14 years before. She was lost, alone and freezing. A strange man started following her down the streets and she ran in the direction of a fancy building. The only one that had lights on coming from the last floor. It looked quite familiar... was it... Ahmanet Financial?

" _Oh my god, you're literally freezing,_ " Kamilah said, handling Amy her jacket." _Come with me, we need to keep you warm._ "

She spent the night at the office, where Kamilah took care of her, keeping her warm in front of the fireplace and forcing her to drink a cup of coffee. Then, she told her about her brother Lysimachus and they watched the fireworks together.

" _Did you make a wish?_ " Amy asked, after the clock struck midnight.  
" _What?_ "  
" _Every New Years's Eve at Midnight I make a wish. Don't you?_ "  
Kamilah shook her head, smiling.  
" _You're an interesting human thing. I like your optimism._ "  
" _Well, you don't always have to be negative about everything, right_?"

Amy forced herself to stay in that vision a little bit more... Then she recognized it. The chocolate bar. She pulled one of those from the backpack she was carrying, and offered Kamilah.

" _It's my favorite. You'll never know if it's your favorite too if you don't try it._ "

"Amy!" Her brother grabbed her shoulders, bringing her back to reality. "Talk to me!"

Her eyes were widened and paralyzed.

"Sorry, I... I need to check something out."

There was only one way to confirm if that memory was real. She remembered the jacket she came back home wearing, but she didn't know the owner. A stranger, as the police officer told her parents. She started pulling things out of her closet in a frenzied mode.

"Amy, what are you doing? You're scaring me... I'm gonna call mom."

Ignoring her brother, she kept searching until she found the jacket inside a box with old recordations. It was indeed the jacket from her memory. From a store she knew Kamilah was a client and... now, with enhanced senses, she still could smell her fragrance, impossible to be noticed by a regular mortal.

She sat down on the floor again, holding that jacket close to her body. Where were those memories from? Why couldn't she remember them before? Until now she believed she spent that day in New York visiting the Museum until she fell asleep at a bench in the Central Park.

There was only one possible explanation, she grabbed her phone and dialed Adrian's number.

"Adrian, it's me. Listen, now I'm a... I'm like you, we should have no more secrets. What happens when a debriefed mortal gets Turned?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- English is not my first language, forgive me for any mistakes.
> 
> \- Your likes and reviews are always appreciated.
> 
> \- Sorry for taking so long, I’m not in a writing mood right now and it took me while to finally feel inspired to finish this chapter.
> 
> \- Since the first part of this story didn’t have any smut scenes, I decided to keep the pattern with this one. But, if you really want it, I may post an alternate version of this chapter that includes a love scene ;)
> 
> *Special Note to Kamilah: Stay away from Mountain View, CA! I heard there are vampire captors out there 😨

**_New York City - June 14, 2022_ **

Amy had been walking around the city for hours. Everything had changed now she was a vampire. It was like living in a whole new world. With her advanced senses she could experience things in a level she wasn’t capable as mortal. Simple actions, like taking a breath or feeling the water against her skin were now felt intensily.

Tired, she sat on a bench at the Central Park. She wasn’t supposed to feel tired, one of the advantages of being a vampire, but she hadn’t adjusted yet. It was like her body was denying its new condition. Not even large amounts of blood were capable of making her satiated. She was thirsty and exhausted all the time, along with a feeling of emptiness that wouldn’t go away.

No Clan leaders were also capable of branding her, after trying with Adrian and Jax, she seeked for Priya’s help. Like the others, her brand faded away seconds after being marked on her skin.

“Well, there’s still Lester and The Baron,” the female vampire lamented. “I’d go for The Baron first.”

Amy shook her head trying to forget her words. What kind of monster was she, if her body only accepted The Baron’s clan brand? Was it anything to do with her personality or her insatiable bloodlust? Did it make any sense at all? A tear was about to run through her cheek, when something caught her eye. A small light shining brighter than anything she had even seen. A firefly.

Amy instantly opened a smile, observing that gracious little creature flying through the air.

“ _You’re so tiny, fragile, but enchanting. Like a… little firefly._ ”

Kamilah’s words resounded inside her head again. She let out a deep sigh. It was like the Universe was constantly trying to remind her of her Maker.

In the last few days all she could think about was their argument before the accident.Amy could finally understand Kamilah’s point of view. Years before, all she had to do was wait a few days to comfront the female vampire about her feelings. Instead, she ran straight to Adrian’s arms, omitting and ignoring everything that happened between them.

“ _God, I was so selfish,_ ” Amy though.

For Kamilah, the pain of seeing them together became so unbearable she gave up on everything to move away. Even her company,  _Ahmanet Financial_. The name suddently trigged a flashback. Amy was able to see herself inside Kamilah’s office, right after graduating college.

“ _Bold decision, huh? But risky, for someone who has just been hired.”_  
“I-I’m sorry… I…”  
“Differently from many, I like those qualities.”  
“Uhh… you do?”  
“Congratulations, Amy. Welcome to Ahmanet Financial.”

“What?!” Amy stood up from the bench and walked, headed to that luxurious building. The company that used to belong to Kamilah. It was still open for the night shift. At the reception, nobody could inform her if any Amy Parker had worked there, many years ago.

“B-But it must be here… somewhere…” Amy sat down at a couch, heavily frustrated. She needed to remember more. Most of all, she needed proof.

Minutes later, a woman came to meet her. For many years, she worked as Kamilah’s secretary.

“I remember you,” she told. “She not only hired you, but offered you an apartment in Manhattan and took you out for dinner.”

“And then?”

“She didn’t come to work in the following day but… when she returned, she only said you had failed and hired someone new. I’m sorry, this is all I have. You know how Ms. Sayeed can be…  _private_  about her life.”

Amy spent the rest of the night re-doing the steps the woman informed her. Nothing could trigger her brain to remember the rest of that memory. What could have gone so wrong, to the point Kamilah debriefed her for a third time? When she arrived at her apartment, Lily and Adrian were waiting for her.

“Amy, finally,” Adrian wrapped his arms around her protectively. “God, we were so worried…”

“I’m fine,” since she was Turned, couldn’t feel the same way about him anymore. She felt some kind of  _repulsion_.

“Where were you?” Lily asked. “Adrian had his entire Clan looking for you.”

“I was searching for answers…” Amy’s eyes flared in anger. “Those flashbacks… They’re real! Did you know I was Kamilah’s assistant for one day, six years ago? I didn’t, because she erased it from my memory!”

Lily looked shocked, then she exchanged a glance with Adrian, who fell on the couch running a hand through his hair.

“Of course. That’s why she was so devasted when we started dating. If only she had told me…”

“What are you talking about? You knew that, Adrian? You also fooled me during all these years?!”

He handed her a book, explaining everything about debriefing. The hypnotic magic only worked for mortals and it was broken at the time of their death. What meant, that as a vampire, she’d regain all the debriefed memories.

In the middle of the book, he placed a ticket to San Francisco.

“Go after her, Amy. She’s the only one who can give you all the answers you want. Also, tell her I’m deeply sorry and that I hope there’s still a way to repair what I did.”

————–

**_San Francisco, California - June 16, 2022_ **

Since her return, Kamilah was locked inside her apartment. She wouldn’t answer any phone calls or reply any emails. She didn’t want to be interrogated or judged. She wasn’t ready to face the consequences of her actions yet.

She knew Amy had survived and was doing well, apparently. Social Networks could be an useful source of information, Kamilah learned. On Amy’s page, there was a ton of messages and pictures from her friends, thankful for the  _miracle_  that saved her life. Amy later wrote a short post, thanking all of them. But what really caught Kamilah’s interest was the “ _engaged_ ” status disappearing from her information. Anyways, it hadn’t been replaced with “ _single_ ” yet. She rolled her eyes in frustration, refreshing the page one more time.

“Kami?!” Louise appeared behind her in a stealthy, silent move.

“What are you doing here, Louise?” She jumped out of her chair, quickly closing the tab on her browser. “H-How did you enter my apartment?!“

"You gave me an extra key, when you were out of the country. Remember?”

“Well, give it back. Now!”

After handing her the key, Louise crossed her arms and studied Kamilah’s face for a moment.

“Guilt,” she let out a chuckle, making Kamilah roll her eyes again. “You ruined the wedding, didn’t you?”

“Sort of,” Kamilah grunted. She hated how Louise had the ability of knowing her so well. She wondered if that was a result of their long-time friendship or if she truly had mind-reading skills.

“Let me guess. The sexual tension between you and Amy led to an argument, that eventually turned into angst sex, boosted by the bounding effects.”

“No, it started with a heated argument where Amy told me she never wanted to see me again. Then she went out on the streets insanely mad, what led to her getting hit by a bus and dying. So I had to Turn her.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t give me ‘ _oh’_ , Louise. I told you it was going to be a disaster. But not even a cynical like me could’ve predicted these catastrophic proportions.”

Louise remained silent, staring at her blankly.

“I mean… you turned your bound, Kamilah.”

“And?”

“Aren’t you aware of the effects of that?”

Effects. Kamilah had no idea about it so far. She was never able to learn much about bounding. Louise explained that, she not only should be the one to brand Amy, but the girl would need to drink some of her blood to complete her Turning process.

“Also, now your blood is running in her veins, bounding is stronger than ever. It’s like you’ve become one… isn’t it beautiful, Kami?!”

“Louise,” Kamilah sighed. “You know most of it was romanticized during the centuries. There’s no proof of what you’re telling me. Otherwise, Amy would be here right now, not in New York, engaged to Adrian.”

Somebody knocked at the door. Kamilah relutanctly got up and answered. She froze, seeing Amy was standing right at her door. The expression on her face was a confirmation of what she just told Louise. She looked furious.

“Amy,” she tried to appear calm, as the girl stormed inside her apartment. “What are you doing here?”

“First, I came here to beg you for a brand. My body won’t accept anybody else’s because you’re my Maker.”

“Oh no, it’s because she’s your b–” Louise emerged from Kamilah’s office, as soon as she heard what was going on. Kamilah censored her with a snarl. It wasn’t the right moment to tell Amy yet.

“Of course.”

Amy exposed her tight and she warmed up the amulet with a lighter to press it against her skin. After Clan Sayeed’s brand was marked on Amy’s skin, Kamilah pricked her finger, sealing it with her blood. The bounding sensation hit, passing though every inch of Kamilah’s body, at an intensity she never experienced before.

“ _Will it ever go away?_ ” She heard Amy complaining to herself, confirming she was feeling the same sensations. She couldn't hide a smile.

According to Louise, there was one more thing she was supposed to do. With one of her daggers, she opened a gash in her palm, dripping some blood inside a cup.

“Drink it,” she offered Amy.

“It’s not part of the ritual. Lily never had to drink Adrian’s blood when she was Turned.”

“Each vampire is different, Amy. Without this, you’ll constantly feel weak and worned out. No blood will be able to satisfy your thirsty. Trust me.”

Amy grabbed the cup from her hand in a violent manner. She hesitated before drinking it, staring at the content and then back at Kamilah. Her look was powerful and intimidating.

“Trust you?” Amy let out a sarcastic laugh, then started walking around Kamilah in circles. “For years, you lied and hid your feelings from me, always making me feel guilty for choosing Adrian over you. Well, then I died. And you Turned me without my consent!”

“Oh please, would you rather to be dead? I gave you a new chance of living! To spend the rest of your life with the man you love.”

The girl went silent as she gazed Kamilah deeply in the eyes. Like if she was retrieving information straight from her soul.

“Oh I almost forgot,” the sarcastic tone in her voice wasn’t gone yet. “I believe I have something that belongs to you.”

She handed Kamilah a jacket. A jacket she dressed Amy many years ago in her office, when she was freezing to death. Although she had debriefing lessons from Jameson in the past, she never researched further about the practice. She had no idea about what would happen once the debriefed mortal became a vampire.

“Y-You remember.”

“Why, Kamilah?!” Amy shouted, shaking her head in denial. “Why did you erase my memories of you multiple times? Why do you have to be selfish like this? You only care about yourself!”

Caught by surprise, Kamilah didn’t answer. She couldn’t find words to explain her motivations. Not with Amy being angry as she was. The girl grabbed her arm, then she paralyzed. Her eyes went wide and unresponsive, like if she had been hypnotized.

“Amy?” Kamilah touched her shoulder gently. “What’s going on?”

She took a long moment to respond.

“You took me out for dinner… And after driving me home, we went to the building’s rooftop.”

“That’s right,” Kamilah answered. In the moment she felt so connected to Amy, she could almost relive that memory too.

_“Can I ask you one question?”_  
“Well, you’re not the kind that just give up, are you?”  
“What are you looking for, Kamilah?”  
“I…”

“Oh, you wanted it as much as I did,” the corners of Amy’s mouth curled up into a smile.

“Out of curiosity, what are we talking about?” Louise whispered to Kamilah.

“Get out of here,” Kamilah ordered, in a low voice.

The protégeé walked headed to the front door, signalizing Kamilah to call her later for details.

Kamilah turned her attention back to Amy. The smile disappeared from her face, she now looked tense and scared.

“My friends… I didn’t remember them before. Oh my god!” A single tear ran across her cheek. “A feral killed them but… you protected me. Then… you drove me to the bus station and…”

“I debriefed you. You resisted, you were determined to keep your memories this time.”

Amy came back to reality, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Her hands were shaking cold.

“Are you alright?” Kamilah asked, concerned. “Do you need a glass of water or…”

“No,” Amy grabbed her hand, preventing her from leaving the couch. “It was different this time, you… you left it up to me to decide if I wanted to come back or not. T-This is why I always felt I needed to come back to New York.”

“That was the right thing to do.”

“Kamilah, you didn’t want to do it this time, did you? You only erased my memories to protect me, from what happened to my friends and from… your world.”

“I guess it didn’t work very well in the end, huh? I mean, you returned and had to face it all again. In the end, you also became a vampire. You should’ve stayed away from me, Amy… You made the wrong choice.”

“Wrong? The only wrong choice here was you not telling me all of this before!”

Amy was right. If only she had told her before, maybe she wouldn’t have started dating Adrian. That was the perfect moment to tell her about her true motivations. Bounding.

“T-There’s a reason…” She stood up, ready to reveal the truth. But in a blink of an eye, Amy advanced in her direction, pressing her against the nearest wall and kissing her in a feverish mode. Showing all the desire she had been withholding during the last four years.

“Later,” Amy muttered, before nipping at her lower lip with her recently adquired fangs.

Kamilah placed a hand on her waist, pulling her even closer as their tongues played a dominance game.

“You’re quite strong for a newly Turned,” she commented as they parted.

“You think? Maybe I’ve only caught you off guard.”

“Let’s test it then.”

Using her advanced speed, Kamilah switched positions, pressing Amy against the wall.

“You were right…” she spoke, drawing a trail of kisses from Amy’s ears until her neck.

“Partially,” Amy smiled playfully, before tearing her clothes apart.

Without wasting no more time, Kamilah pushed her on the couch. Amy drew her for more kissing. At this point, stoping felt impossible. They couldn’t keep their mouths and hands off each other.

“Amy… wait…” Kamilah interrupted their making out session. “There’s something you need to know. It’s important.”

“Come on…” Amy complained. “Wasn’t there a fourth time, was it?”

“No, I swear. Have you ever heard about bounding?”

“Yes, Adrian mentioned it once, how much he wanted us to have it. It’s like a soulmate thing, isn’t it?”

“Okay then. You’re my bound, the idea terrified me so much I decided to erase your memories to keep you away from me.”

“Serious?! How can you be so sure?”

“Because of  _this_ …” Kamilah’s hand traveled all over her chest, triggering the electric sensation. “And  _this_ …” she caressed Amy’s tight, where her brand was imprinted. “Since I Turned you, I’m the only one allowed brand you.”

“Oh… and I suppose that’s the reason why I should do  _this_ …” Amy smirked before carefully taking her wrist to her fangs, drinking some blood. Her bite was gentle and delicate, not causing any pain, only pleasure.

“How do you feel now?” Kamilah asked when she finished.

“I feel great… powerful and… I feel like I want you, all of you.”

“Oh, do you?”

Grinning, Kamilah drove her to the bedroom, where they spent the rest of the night enjoying each other’s company. Before falling asleep, Amy murmured:

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” Kamilah tightened the grip around Amy’s waist, as if she was making sure she’d never go away again.


End file.
